The New York Jets entered the 2025 season with a clear problem: no proven receiver behind star Garrett Wilson.

While that issue still isn’t fully solved, the team took a step toward fixing it ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline by acquiring former Texas standout Adonai Mitchell.

On Friday, head coach Aaron Glenn shared the team’s plan for Mitchell.

“The plan is for him to come here and get a change of scenery, because he is definitely talented,” said the first-year head coach.

Mitchell was acquired as part of the blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade that also sent two first-round picks to New York.

At first glance, Mitchell’s rookie stat line from last season doesn’t exactly jump off the page. In 17 games, including seven starts, the young receiver managed 23 catches for 312 yards and failed to find the end zone. He added just six rushing yards on four attempts. Altogether, it was not the production expected from a second-round pick.

But the story changes when you look beyond the box score. Per Pro Football Focus, Mitchell ranked among the NFL’s best at creating space; he earned the second-best separation grade on vertical routes and was third-best on in-breaking routes. The explosiveness was there; he just didn’t get the opportunities.

Through nine weeks of the 2025 season, Mitchell has quietly started to turn a corner, catching nine of 15 targets for 152 yards.

After struggling with drops and contested catches as a rookie, Mitchell has been more reliable this year, securing both contested passes thrown his way and avoiding any drops so far. It’s a small sample size, but the growth is noticeable.

Early in the season, Mitchell looked like a rising piece of Indianapolis’ offense. By Week 4, he had seven receptions for 137 yards and seemed to be finding his rhythm.

But one costly mistake changed everything, and it was the kind of blunder Jets fans know too well.

On what should’ve been a 76-yard touchdown, Mitchell celebrated a moment too soon, dropping the ball just before crossing the goal line. The play was wiped out, the Colts lost by a touchdown, and the young receiver’s role quickly faded after that.

Now, with a clean slate in New York, Mitchell has a chance to prove his second-round pedigree.

On a Jets team still searching for answers behind Wilson, this is Mitchell’s opportunity to bring his potential to fruition.